66.0915 Viaducts in cities, villages and towns.

(1) Private viaducts in cities, villages and towns. The privilege of erecting a viaduct above a public street, road, or alley, for the purpose of connecting buildings on each side, may be granted by the city council, village board, or town board upon the written petition of the owners of all the frontage of the lots and lands abutting the portion sought to be connected, and the owners of more than one-half of the frontage of the lots and lands abutting upon that portion of the remainder that lies within 2,650 feet from the ends of the portion proposed to be connected. If a lot or land is owned by the state, or by a county, city, village, or town, or by a minor or individual adjudicated incompetent, or the title to the lot or land is held in trust, the petition may be signed by the governor, the chairperson of the county board, the mayor of the city, the president of the board of trustees of the village, the chairperson of the town board, the guardian of the minor or individual adjudicated incompetent, or the trustee, respectively, and the signature of a private corporation may be made by its president, secretary, or other principal officer or managing agent. Written notice stating when and where the petition will be acted upon, and describing the location of the proposed viaduct, shall be given by the city council, village board, or town board by publication of a class 3 notice, under ch. 985.

(2) Removal of private viaducts. A viaduct in a city, village, or town may be discontinued by the city council, village board, or town board, upon written petition of the owners of more than one-half of the frontage of the lots and lands abutting on the street or road approaching on each end of the viaduct, which lies within 2,650 feet from the ends of the viaduct. If a lot or land is owned by the state, or by a county, city, village, or town, or by a minor or individual adjudicated incompetent, or the title to the lot or land is held in trust, the petition may be signed by the governor, the chairperson of the county board, the mayor of the city, the president of the board of trustees of the village, the chairperson of the town board, the guardian of the minor or individual adjudicated incompetent, or the trustee, respectively, and the signature of a private corporation may be made by its president, secretary, or other principal officer or managing agent. Written notice stating when and where the petition will be acted upon, and stating what viaduct is proposed to be discontinued, shall be given by the city council, village board, or town board by publication of a class 1 notice, under ch. 985, not less than one year before the day fixed for the hearing and a class 3 notice, under ch. 985, within the 30 days before the date of the hearing.

(3) Lease of space over public places by cities, villages and towns.

(a) A city, village or town may lease space over any street, road, alley or other public place in the city, village or town which is more than 12 feet above the level of the street, road, alley or other public place for any term not exceeding 99 years to the person who owns the fee in the property on both sides of the portion of the street, road, alley or other public place to be leased, if the governing body of the city, village or town determines that the place is not needed for street, road, alley or other public purpose, and that the public interest will be served by leasing.

(b) The leasing of each space shall be authorized by ordinance. The ordinance shall set forth the proposed lease, the purpose for which the space may be used and the terms of the lease with reasonable certainty.

(c) The lease shall be signed on behalf of the city, village or town by the mayor, village president or town board chairperson and shall be attested by the city, village or town clerk under the corporate seal. The lease shall also be executed by the lessee in a manner that binds the lessee. After being duly executed and acknowledged the lease shall be recorded in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the leased premises are located.

(d) If the governing body determines that the public interest requires that any building erected in the leased space be removed so that a street, road, alley or public place may be restored to its original condition, the lessor city, village or town may condemn the lessee's interest in the leased space by proceeding under ch. 32. After payment of any damages in the condemnation proceedings, the city, village or town may remove all buildings or other structures from the leased space and restore the buildings adjoining the leased space to their original condition.

(4) Sale or lease of space over or below public place.

(a) A city, village or town may sell or lease the space over or below ground level of any street, road, alley or public place or municipally owned real estate to any person, if the governing body determines by resolution and states the reasons that the action is in the best public interest and the prospective purchaser or lessee has provided for the removal and relocation expense for any facilities devoted to a public use where relocation is necessary for the purposes of the purchaser or lessee. Leases shall be granted by ordinance and shall not exceed 99 years in length. No lease may be granted or use authorized which substantially interferes with the public purpose for which the surface of the land is used.

(b) A lease shall specify purposes for which the leased space is to be used. If the purpose is to erect in the space a building or a structure attached to the lot, the lease shall contain a reasonably accurate description of the building to be erected and of the manner in which it will impose upon or around the lot. The lease shall also provide for use by the lessee of those areas of the real estate that are essential for ingress and egress to the leased space, for the support of the building or other structures to be erected and for the connection of essential public or private utilities to the building or structure.

(c) Any building erected in the space leased shall be operated, as far as practicable, separately from the municipal use. The structure shall conform to all state and municipal regulations.

(d) A lease under this subsection is subject to sub. (3) (c) and (d).

History: 1971 c. 43; 1983 a. 192 s. 303 (2); 1991 a. 316; 1993 a. 246; 1999 a. 150 s. 117; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0915; 2005 a. 387.

A statute authorizing cities and villages to lease space over a parking lot would be constitutional. 58 Atty. Gen. 179.